CBI books freelance journalist with US-based portal for spying

The Central Bureau of Investigation has registered an FIR against a freelance journalist for allegedly collecting sensitive information related to the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Army, and sharing them with intelligence agencies of foreign countries, officials said on Tuesday.

Following the FIR, the agency conducted searches on premises linked to Vivek Raghuvanshi, listed as India correspondent of a US-based portal on defence and strategic affairs on its web site, and people close to him at 12 locations in Jaipur and the National Capital Region (NCR), they said.

The agency has booked Raghuvanshi under Section 3 (spying) of Official Secrets Act read with Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.

A number of sensitive documents was recovered during the searches and sent for legal scrutiny, the officials said.

Sources said the agency has launched an exhaustive probe to find Raghuvanshi's accomplices in India and abroad.

He was allegedly collecting sensitive information and minute details about the progress of various DRDO projects, the CBI alleged.

He was also collecting details of future procurement plans of the Indian armed forces which could have adversely affected the country's strategic preparedness, the agency alleged.

"It is alleged that he collected and passed on sensitive details about the future procurement of Indian armed forces which reveal the strategic preparedness of the country besides classified communications and information relating to national security, details of the strategic and diplomatic talks of India with our friendly countries and sharing such classified information with intelligence agencies of foreign countries," the CBI spokesperson said.